Journey to the Silent World
by Swift Bolt99
Summary: After a freak accident with a quantum mirror, Bruce and Selina find themselves in a parallel dimension on an Earth ship heading off on a deep space mission. Will they be able to get back home?
1. Chapter 1

Journey to the Silent World.

AN. This story will crossover into the SCIFI universe which my main writings revolve around.

Wayne Manor

Bruce emerged from the cave with a decent amount of dust of him and was surprised to see Selina standing at the entrance with a carton of milk in her hand.

"Hi Selina, I wasn't expecting any visitors today."

"Since when do you ever expect visitors, B? Oh and I took the liberty of raiding your fridge, hope you don't mind," Selina said referring to the milk in her hand.

Bruce let out a slight chuckle which was his way of saying no. In this case anyway.

"Well I just came up here for a little break from the work I was doing."

"So your detective work has you getting all dusty now?" Selina asked.

"Actually I was exploring a new section of the cave and found something very interesting. A mirror to be exact."

"A mirror, what's so special about it?"

"I don't know yet, just that it started glowing when I touched it. I can show you if you like."

"Sure Bruce," Selina replied.

They headed down into the cave and walked passed the office area that was once used by his father.

One minute later, they arrived in the newly discovered room where the mirror was shining bright in the middle of the floor.

"You said it started doing this when you touched it?" Selina asked.

"Yeah, I can try to see if I can shut it off the same way."

Selina's senses told her that it might be a good idea to take a step back in case something happened which she did, but she still kept herself close enough to help Bruce if necessary.

Bruce touched the front of the mirror but instead of it being deactivated, the glass part gave way to a portal and Bruce started to feel himself being pulled towards it.

Before he could start screaming for help, Selina instantly leapt into action to try and pull him away from it.

But the gravitational pull of the portal was too strong and in a matter of seconds, both teens were sucked in and the mirror powered down.


	2. Chapter 2

Unknown location

Bruce and Selina landed on the ground with a thud, but they quickly got up and found themselves surrounded by a group of seven people who appeared to have been surprised by their sudden arrival.

"Calm down people. Marines, lower your weapons," a woman in a dark blue battle dress uniform ordered then the two marines that had Bruce and Selina in the sights of their M-37 assault rifles stood down as she approached the kids.

"Are you two alright?" she asked.

"Yes, we're fine. Where are we and who are you?" Bruce asked.

"Commander Shelley Womack, United States Navy. And you're onboard the USS Beowulf."

"I'm Bruce Wayne and this is my friend Selina Kyle."

"People back in Gotham call me Cat and I would appreciate it if you all did the same."

"What's Gotham?" one of the crewmembers asked.

"It's a corrupt city in the U.S of A," Selina bluntly replied.

"I'm sorry about the corrupt part, but you two must've came from a different version of Earth because there's no such city anywhere on our Earth. Let alone in the States."

"So what happens now?" Bruce asked.

"I'm about to take you and your friend down to the infirmary for a blood test to ensure that you two are actually human and not carrying any pathogens. It's standard procedure when… offworld guest come onboard.

"Ugh, I hate needles."

"I'm not a big fan of them either, Selina. But if it helps to put their concerns to rest, I don't see any logical reason to refuse," Bruce said.

"Fine, let's go."

"Follow me kids," Womack said then they walked into a nearby televator and Womack pressed the button for deck seventeen.

Infirmary

After getting her blood drawn, Selina put her jacket back on and walked out into the hallway where Bruce was sitting on a nearby bench.

"How did it go, Selina?"

"It went well, but it's not something I care to repeat. The doc said we'll know the results in the next few minutes."

"I'm sure we'll be fine, but my main concern is how are we going to get back to our Earth. Alfred must be pretty worried right now. How am I gonna explain this to him?"

"Focus on the getting back part first, B. your explanation speech can come later."

"You sound pretty sure that we'll make it back."

"Tell me something, B. How many misadventures have we been on back in Gotham?"

"Plenty."

"And how many did we make it back from?"

"All of them."

"So this one won't be any different. Just stay positive and close to me and we'll be fine, got it?"

"Yes, Selina."

"Good," she replied, then the doors to the infirmary opened and Womack walked out to make an announcement.

"The doc just gave me the results and I'm happy to say that you two don't have to worry about being quarantined.

"You see, Bruce?" Things are going well for us already," Selina said excitedly then slapped him on the shoulder.

"Yes. Thank you, Commander," Bruce replied as he stood up.

"Now we're about to head up to the bridge to meet my boss or the C.O as we sometimes call him."

"Lead the way, ma'am," Bruce said.

"Since we're about to meet the leader, it's a good thing our trip through the portal got that dust off of you," Selina commented.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As everyone else on the bridge attended to their duties, Commander Womack walked through the doorway with Bruce and Selina behind her.

"Sir, this is Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. The two kids that dropped out of the portal that appeared on deck four. Kids this is Rear Admiral Andy Roberts, our commander," Womack said then Roberts got up from his chair to greet them.

"Welcome aboard."

"Thank you Admiral," Bruce replied as he shook his hand. Roberts then extended his hand to Selina, but she seemed hesitant to take it.

"You'll have to forgive Selina, she's not the one to automatically trust strangers."

"Did I give you permission to talk about me?" Selina asked in a snappy tone.

After a brief moment of silence, Selina shook his hand and told him that she would appreciate it if he addressed her as Cat.

"Very well."

"And what do the pair of wings on your nametag stand for?" Selina asked.

"Oh these?" These are my pilot wings, Cat. I use to be in command of a squadron of F/A-18E Super Hornets called the Royal Maces. Then when the Beowulf entered service in 2100, I was offered the command. Ironically, I was on the verge of retiring when it was presented to me."

"So the chance to command a space ship changed your mind?"

"Exactly, Bruce and she's not just any type of space ship. She's an intergalactic battlecruiser and the lead ship of her class."

"Very impressive, sir," Bruce replied then turned to look out the viewscreen and noticed they were traveling through some sort of tunnel. "Are we actually traveling through hyperspace right now?"

"Yes we are Bruce. We made our jump from Earth just as you and Cat appeared onboard."

"Where are we going?" Selina asked.

"We're heading to a planet we've designated as MW-877 to locate the source of a virus that infected the crew of the Ethel Marie. An exploration ship that belonged to the New Grounds Exploration firm on the planet Comberth."

"How bad did it get on the ship?" Selina asked.

"The virus turned those infected into vicious creatures and the ship was scuttled by a fighter from the Hades. Sadly, any uninfected crewmembers were vaporized along with it."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Admiral. But I wish to learn more about this universe, including the current state of Earth."

"We got nine hours before we reach our destination, so that can certainly be arranged. XO, take Bruce down to the conference room and give him access to all of our unclassified files."

"Yes sir, Captain Millen replied then asked Bruce to follow him.

After looking around the bridge to familiarize herself with the layout, Selina made her way over to Womack's console which was to the right of the command chair where Roberts sat.

"So what do you do on this ship, Shelley?"

"I'm the weapons officer, Cat. My job is blasting the bad guys to kingdom come."

"Hmm, what kinds of weapons does this ship have?"

"You see those squares out on the bow."

"Yeah."

"Those are our vertical launch cells, we got a hundred and ninety of them and they each contain two types of tactical warheads and two types of missiles. The warheads are known as MK-40 plasma warheads which pack an explosive punch of forty Megatons and the MK-60 anti-matter warheads which pack a punch of sixty Megatons."

"The enemies you face in this universe must have some pretty tough ships to warrant having that much heat.

"They do, but this ship and those possessed by our friends back home were built to deal with them. The missiles we got are SM6s and Arrowhead. The SM6 is what we used to swat down enemy fighters and other small craft like bombers and boarding shuttles and the Arrowhead is a cruise missile that can be used against both spaceborne and surface targets and it packs four-thousand pounds of high explosives."

"Whoa, this is some awesome stuff. Tell me more."

"When the ship was down for upgrades, we got four brand new heavy railguns. These things send projectiles flying at Mach twenty-nine."

"Twek'em a bit more and you'll get Mach thirty," Selina commented.

"Our ship also has eighty-seven point defense railguns for use against small craft and the slugs they fire slam into targets at a velocity of Mach nine. Each turret is fed by a magazine holding ninety-nine thousand rounds."

"Damn that's awesome, but killing a fighter with one of these things would be like hitting a fly with a sledgehammer."

"As long as they work against the enemy that's fine with me, Cat. The next piece of overkill we possess is ten kinetic rod launchers. They are housed in concealed locations on various parts of the hull but when they pop up, they are ready to send twelve Tungsten rods flying across the stars at Mach twenty-six. No ship we've faced has ever survived a hit from one of these things."

"I can imagine, Shelley," Selina commented.

"When the Beowulf and her sister ships first entered service, they were armed with sixty beam cannons. Thirty of them were plasma and the other thirty were solar. In 2103, we were retrofitted with a new energy cannons called tri-beams. Each one can fire off three beams at once and with sixty of these things at its disposal, a single Beowulf class battlecruiser can engage one-hundred and eighty enemy ships at once."

"Plus many more when you add in all the other ordnance," Selina said.

"Yeah and we also have a ventral bay that enables us to rain down on targets from orbit," Womack said.

"All of this stuff is very impressive, but I do have one more question. Is it possible for me to get some practice in with these weapons?"

"We can easily run some combat simulations on the console, that's how I pass the time during long voyages through hyperspace. Sir, permission to let Cat run some battle sims on the console?"

"Permission granted, just keep an eye on her," Roberts replied.

"I have no intention of breaking your ship, Admiral."

"It's just procedure, Cat. Anybody going through training is to be supervised," Womack replied then got up so Selina could have her chair.

"If I had a ship like this, Bruce would never have to worry about anyone trying to mess with him ever again. I could probably do a better job of taking out those monsters from Arkham too," Selina thought to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After going through several battle simulations, Selina decided to do her own exploration of the ship while Bruce was busy immersing himself in files in the conference room.

After walking past two crewmembers, she came to a room with a sign above it that said Hall of the Kings.

"Hmm, I wonder what's in here," she thought to herself then proceeded to walk on in where saw multiple seats that were bolted to the floor and a large flatscreen monitor with two emblems with banners on it.

The first one was that of a crown with a fighter jet on it and a pair of lightning bolts hitting two stars. The top banner said the Spacekings and the bottom one said SVFA-216.

The image on the next emblem was that of an archer flanked by two fighters and preparing to take a shot with a missile instead of an arrow. Its top banner was titled the Longbows and its bottom one said SVFA-236.

"So you're the one who goes by the name Cat?" asked a voice of someone behind her.

Selina turned around and saw a man dressed in a black flight suit with a Spaceking patch on his chest along with his nametag and two more patches on his sleeves. An Earth patch on the right and an American flag patch on the left.

"Selina is my main name, but Cat is the one I prefer more. Who are you?"

"I am Captain Steinbeck, leader of the Spacekings Fighter Squadron. So what do you think of our briefing room?"

"It looks neat and your ship is very impressive. Commander Womack let me do some battle simulations on her weapons console when I was on the bridge."

"And how did you do?"

"Good enough to get certified to man it if necessary."

"Wow," Steinbeck commented.

"So what can you tell me about the fighters on those emblems on the screen?" Selina asked.

The one on the crown is called a Space Hornet, the kind of bird my squadron flies. It's officially called the F/A-18S, but we just call'em Space Hornets because it sounds better."

"I'm with you on that, Captain."

"Feel free to call me Erin, Cat. No need to address me by rank all the time."

"Ok, what kind of birds do the Longbows fly?"

"F/A-37 Sawsharks, the first fighters to be equipped with AI copilots and with four afterburners on their asses they can smoke us in a race any day of the week."

"That must be irritating, and why does the archer have a missile on his bow instead of an arrow?"

"Well a missile is just like an arrow but with a longer range and a guidance system. Plus the ability to chase you around a corner."

"I've dodged many bullets on the streets of Gotham, but I probably wouldn't be able to dodge one of these things."

"Sounds like you come from a very rough town, Cat."

"Heh, you have no idea just how rough it is."

"Considering that it's in another dimension, I would have to agree. Would you like to see our fighters up close?"

"Sure, but first I have to retrieve my cute little billionaire from the conference room."

"Wait a minute, the boy that came through the portal with you is a billionaire in your city?" Steinbeck asked.

"Yep, and his name is Bruce Wayne," Selina replied with a smile.

"I'll take you to him, but please tell me more about this kid."

"A Bruce Wayne 101 course will cost you three-hundred dollars."

"Rats, we don't have any money on the ship. But I could give you this," Steinbeck replied then unzipped one of his pockets and pulled out a golden coin.

"Hmm, what is it?"

"It's a challenge coin, Cat. If and when you get back to Gotham, you'll have something to prove that you traveled to another dimension. A lot more valuable than currency that's probably a long way off from being in circulation."

Selina considered her options for a moment then decided to take the coin.

"Fine, Erin. Now let's go," Selina said then they walked out of the room and the class on Bruce Wayne began.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As the Beowulf continued its flight through hyperspace, Admiral Roberts was holding a videoconference on the bridge with the head of Space Fleet Command, Admiral Devin Wallace.

"Wow Andy, that's one helluva an occurrence, Wallace said after hearing Roberts story about the appearance of the portal and the arrival of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.

"Indeed sir. Personally I consider the sudden appearance of a portal on my ship a major security breach, but so far Bruce and Selina have been very good houseguest."

"I agree, and Are you keeping an eye on them?"

"Yes sir, but they haven't given me any reason to put them under marine escort."

"Though you should still give them some earpieces so they can contact you without having to constantly run up to the bridge."

"I will sir," Roberts replied then turned to Millen who was standing near the orange space map. "Captain, where are Bruce and Selina right now?"

"Bruce is still reading the files in the conference room and Selina is almost there with Captain Steinbeck and a few other pilots."

"Go get'em some earpieces please."

"Yes sir."

"What kind of files is he reading?" Wallace asked with a tone of concern in his voice.

"Every non-classified file about us and the affairs of our universe. He seems very interested in wanting to learn about us. Selina strikes me as a bit of an eccentric with wanting to be called cat and all. Now as for the portal, my bridge team has tried to come up with theories as to how it appeared. But they are just as stomped as I am."

"NASA is trying to find the answer to that question too. Continue on with your mission and make sure your guests stay safe. If we make a breakthrough on the portal investigation, we'll contact you."

"Understood sir," Roberts replied then Wallace terminated the connection on his end.

Conference room

Bruce sat at the head of the table still going through the files on the laptop Captain Millen provided him as the ships emblem shined brightly on the fifty inch flatscreen monitor behind him. There was an even larger flatscreen mounted on the wall directly ahead but it was currently off.

"Hey there, bookworm," Selina said as she waltzed into the room with Captain Steinbeck and three other pilots from his squadron.

"Hey Selina, I see you got yourself a little entourage."

"Well I was schooling Captain Steinbeck here on you and our not so lovely little city on our way down here, and these guys joined us along the way."

"It's an honor to meet you, Captain Steinbeck."

"Same here Mister Wayne and feel free to call me Erin. You also have my condolences about the loss of your parents. No child should have to go through something like that."

"Thank you," Bruce replied as he shook his hand then Steinbeck proceeded to introduce his fellow pilots

"This is my copilot, Commander Emerson. My squads number two, Commander Colbert and my number three, Lieutenant Booker. He was recently added to the squadron to fill in for Commander Flanagan who was reassigned to the Armstrong. When that ship enters service, he'll be in charge of their Space Hornet squadron."

"The Stingers. That's a very good name for a fighter squadron," Bruce commented.

"How many other Space Hornet squadrons are there besides the Spacekings and the Stingers? Selina asked.

Bruce opened the file on the laptop that contained the names of the other squadrons and the battlecruisers they were assigned to, then got up so Selina could have the chair.

Suddenly, Captain Millen ran into the room saying that he had some earpieces for Bruce and Selina.

"With these, you can contact us from anywhere on the ship. You can even call us up from the surface of a planet if you had to," Millen added.

"Thank you, Captain. And when you return to the bridge, can you please tell Admiral Roberts that I would like to tag along with the team that's heading down to the planet when we arrive?"

"Considering that our destination is an uncharted planet with only god knows what waiting on the surface, I'm not sure if Admiral Roberts will approve of your request. But I'll run it by him anyway."

"Thank you, sir," Bruce replied.

"What kind of name is Hebe?" Selina asked shortly after Millen left.

"Hebe is named after the Greek goddess of Youth, Cat. Does the name of their Space Hornet Squadron sound ok?" Steinbeck asked.

"Valkyrie sounds nice and what's with the ship named Selene?" Its name sounds slightly similar to mine."

"She was the Greek goddess of the moon and your name also means Moon goddess," Bruce said.

"Well since they both associated the same thing, why not just call it USS Selina? It sounds better."

"Well I don't get to name the ships, Cat. The Department of Space Fleet Acquisitions has a panel that submits name recommendations to the Chief of Naval Operations who then has the final say," Steinbeck commented.

Selina activated her earpiece and asked to speak to Admiral Roberts.

"Roberts here. What can I do for you, Cat?"

"I was going over the names of your ships and I noticed that one of them is called the Selene which sounds similar to my main name. Since they are both associated with the Greek goddess of the moon, would you mind passing on my recommendation to your Chief of Naval Operations to change the name to Selina? I just think it sounds better."

"I'll pass it on to my boss back home, but I'm not too sure if it will get anywhere. Once he decides on the name for a ship, that's pretty much the end of the discussion."

"Well whatever the outcome, you'll have my thanks for passing on my suggestion."

"Noted Cat, Roberts out."

As Selina turned her attention back to the laptop, Steinbeck struck up a conservation with Bruce about Gotham.

"On the way down here, Cat told me a great deal about you and your city. She also told me that despite its miserable state and rampant corruption, you believe that it can be saved."

"My father devoted himself to making life better for the people of Gotham in every way he could both inside and outside of Wayne Enterprises but unfortunately, he didn't get the chance to see his goals come to fruition. Deep down I believe that I was spared to continue his work and I will, no matter the cost."

"I can already tell that you're going to be a great man someday, Bruce. But the one thing I do question is not if you'll be the man Gotham needs, but if you'll be the one it deserves."

"That's a fair question, Captain Steinbeck. One that I've never taken the time to ask myself."

"If I was in your place Bruce, I would've just taken my wealth and those I cared about and went someplace else."

"Would you really do that if it meant allowing your family's legacy to be tarnished forever, Lieutenant Booker?"

Before he could reply, a spitting sound is heard and they turn to see some coffee on the table. Apparently Selina helped herself to the cup of coffee Bruce poured for himself and she didn't seem to like it.

"Well I just found the first thing on this ship that sucks."

"Our coffee?" Emerson asked.

"Yeah, how do you guys manage to drink this stuff and better yet, how did you manage to drink this Bruce without spitting it all over the place?"

"Perhaps I just have a natural tolerance for coffee," Bruce replied as Booker grabbed some paper towel form a nearby shelf to clean up the mess.

"It's some very powerful stuff, Cat. Some people can handle it and some can't," Steinbeck said.

"Whatever. Now that the mess is cleaned up, can we continue on to the hangar bay?"

"Certainly, Cat."

"Bruce, we're going to check out the fighters and you're coming with us."

"But I still have a lot more files to read."

"Not while I'm around, now let's go," Selina replied then grabbed Bruce by the arm and pulled him out of the room and the only thing Bruce could do was follow along.

AN. Think of this part as more of a deleted scene from this chapter. In addition to the Spacekings, Valkyries, and Stingers. These were the other Space Hornet squadron names Selina saw on the screen along with their assigned ships.

Talons. USS Athena.

Chimeras. USS Aegis.

Shockwaves. USS Ethon.

Leviathans. USS Poseidon.

Pulsars. USS Cronus.

Makhais. USS Enyo.

Juggernauts. USS Nemesis.

Warlords. USS Ares.

Thunderhawks. USS Phoenix.

Buccaneers. USS Iapetus.

Savages. USS Eris.

Hacksaws. USS Hermes.

Hellcats. USS Hades.

Conquerors. USS Nike.

Predators. USS Britomartis.

Darksiders. USS Erebus.

Mongooses. USS Selene.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hangar bay one

Steinbeck, Emerson, Colbert, and Booker walked into the bay with Bruce and Selina right behind them.

"Well here we are kids," Emerson said.

Bruce and Selina looked on in amazement at the amount of fighters present. There were twenty Space Hornets and eight Sawsharks parked on both sides of the bay with the launchway in the middle.

"So this is the Space Hornet, huh?" Selina asked as she approached one of the jets.

"It sure is Cat. The best form of F/A-18 ever produced," Steinbeck replied.

"The U.S. Navy in our dimension also flies F/A-18s, but none like this," Bruce said.

"I take it that the U.S. military on your Earth has yet to reach our level of technology?"

"In terms of having space fighters and intergalactic warships, we're not even close and neither is any other country. I actually find that to be a good thing."

"Why's that?" Steinbeck asked.

"From what I read in the conference room, the nations on your Earth no longer fight amongst themselves. Interstate wars still pop up periodically on mine."

"It's a lot easier get to get along with your neighbors when they are just as worried about giant monsters and hostile aliens as you are."

"It seems like people only unite when there are disasters and bigger bad guys to deal with," Bruce replied then went to the Space Hornet Selina was looking at.

"Why is this engine bigger than the other two?"

"That one is the rocket booster, Cat. It's what we use when we're leaving a planets atmosphere. We go up to a certain altitude then kick it on and let it propel us the rest of the way."

"What is it like climbing up into space in this thing, Commander Emerson?" Selina asked.

"It's the second most exhilarating thing you can do in a space fighter. The first one being engaging in interstellar combat with a Borgan fleet."

"Borgans?"

"They're a very hostile alien race, Selina. I read up on them while I was in the conference room. They launched two invasion attempts against Earth in the year 2095 with the goal of doing to it what they've done to other planets."

"Let me guess, conquering and pillaging resources?"

"Yes, and the file also said that whenever they finish strip mining a planet, they would exterminate the remaining locals which they used as slaves. Thankfully Earth was able to repel both attempts."

"And then they built up forces to take the fight to them?"

"Yeah and along with any other bad guy that pops out of the woodwork, Cat," Colbert said.

"Erin, the amount of missiles on this plane is quite impressive," Bruce commented.

"As a rule of thumb, a space fighter is supposed to be a heavy hitter. And with a payload of two Sidewinders, eighteen ERAAMs and twelve Megalodon missiles, plus a gun and a dual beam cannon, this fighter is a heavy hitter in every shape of the word," Steinbeck said.

"What kind of name is ERAAM?" Selina asked.

Bruce was just about to answer but Selina raised her hand and told him that she wanted to hear it from Captain Steinbeck.

"It stands for Extended Range Air to Air Missile, It's a successor to the AMRAAM which the fighters back in your dimension probably still use. You can hit an enemy fighter from well over a hundred miles with this thing and when she leaves the rail, she flies like a bullet."

"Impressive, and what do the Megalodons do?"

"Turn alien ships into fireballs," Steinbeck replied.

"Excuse me, Captain. But do you mind if I sit in the cockpit?"

"Knock yourself out, Bruce."

Selina quickly scrambled over and got in front of Bruce before he could get to the boarding ladder.

"I call the front seat, B."

"Why?"

"Because ladies first and you'll get a kiss if you stop whining about it."

Selina made her way up the ladder and hopped in while Bruce relegated himself to the back seat.

"These seats are quite comfortable and your ejection handles are in the perfect spot," Bruce said referring to the fact that they were just above his shoulders.

"Is there any chance we can take this thing for a joyride?" Selina asked with a smile.

"We could give you two a ride if the chance presents itself."

"That would be awesome, Erin," Bruce said.

"Hey B, I got a challenge for you."

"What is it?"

"A race from the back of the hangar bay to the bay doors."

"What do I get if I win?"

"You'll get kissed twice."

That promise was more than enough to make Bruce get out of the cockpit and Selina quickly followed

"Alright guys, me and Bruce about to have a little race?"

"I hate to put your race on hold, Cat. But Admiral Roberts wants to see me and you two on the bridge right away. It's about our mission to the planet.

"It sounds like we're almost there," Bruce commented then they got moving.

Shortly after leaving the hangar, Selina spun around and grabbed Bruce by the lapels of his shirt then kissed him squarely on the lips.

"Let's keep moving kids. Don't want to keep the boss waiting," Steinbeck said with a slight smile on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A flash appeared in the televator on deck one then Captain Steinbeck, Bruce, and Selina stepped out and continued onto the bridge where they were greeted by Admiral Roberts and another officer who was dressed in some sort of HAZMAT suit.

"I hope we're not late for the briefing sir."

"No worries Captain, you three are right on time. Kids, allow to introduce you to Major William Gordon. He's the leader of my onboard marine contingent."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Major," Bruce said as he shook his hand.

"Same here Mister Wayne, Selina."

"Usually I prefer Cat, but I'll make an exception this time around."

"Admiral, what's our current status?" Bruce asked.

Roberts gave a nod to Womack who pressed a button on her console which brought up the digital HUD on the viewscreen along with the image of a planet and few other photos.

"We are currently thirty minutes out from MW-877. Upon dropping out of hyperspace we will establish orbit and beam down a ten man team led by Major Gordon who will proceed to this building where we believe the Ethel Marie's crew got the virus from."

"I can barely see it, the exterior looks completely covered by undergrowth," Bruce said.

"Looks like whoever was in charge of grounds keeping forgot their day job," Selina commented.

"Or maybe their grounds keeper isn't around anymore, Cat," Gordon replied then asked Roberts how far from the objective would they be beamed down from.

"You'll be beamed down a half a mile from it and our guests here will be tagging along as observers."

"Thank you for letting us have the opportunity to check out an alien planet, Admiral," Bruce said.

"We'll have to secure the LZ first before you two can join us. If you're cleared to come down, you stay with us from start to finish and do what I say when I say it, understood?"

"Yes sir," Bruce said.

"Got it," Selina replied.

"Now since we're investigating a potential viral storage site, CBRN suits will be required. We got two of them ready for you in the armory on deck four along with some facemask, vests, and helmets. You can suit up after the briefing."

"Where do I chip in sir?" Steinbeck asked.

"You'll be leading an eight-ship flight of Space Hornets to watch over the ground team and provide CAS in necessary. Now if the search of the building turns up empty, we'll leave it be and head home. If it turns out to be some sort of alien house of horrors, we'll shove a nuke into it and never have to worry about anyone stumbling across it again."

"Isn't that a bit much for one building, Sir?" Bruce asked "Why not just fry it with normal incendiaries. That's the best method for dealing with chemical and biological weapon stockpiles."

"I asked the Pentagon the same question when an Arrowhead-N was beamed up into my weapons bay and they told me that given the nature of this threat, they and the president wanted a little extra assurance that it would be contained."

"Well your superiors will get their assurance alright if we find what they think we'll find, Admiral," Selina said then asked where they got the photos of the building from.

"The Hades found them in the Ethel Marie's flight logs when it extracted them then relayed them to SFC who in turn gave them to us."

"Well I'm about to get some of my pilots ready for the mission. I'll see you guys later," Steinbeck said then left the bridge as the HUD closed down.

Gordon was also about to leave, but Selina wanted to have a word with him.

"What is it, Cat?"

"I know you and your men will be going down to the planet heavily armed, but I just want to let you know that I can handle a gun too."

"And what's the biggest weapon you've ever handled?"

"A shotgun, Major. Let me have a go on your range and I'll show you."

"Gordon thought about for moment then decided to give Selina a chance to prove herself.

"The shooting range is on deck ten, meet me there after you and Bruce gear up."

A few minutes later, Bruce and Selina arrived at the shooting range where Major Gordon was waiting with a target and weapon already set.

"Alright Cat, step on up and let's see what you got," Gordon said.

Selina walks up station three where she takes a second to look weapon over before picking it up.

"Hmm, what kind of gun is this?"

"This is called an AA-22 combat shotgun. It has the look and feel of an assault rifle, but it fires shotgun ammunition from its forty round drum magazine and has an impressive rate of fire three-hundred rounds per-minute.

"Awesome," Selina said then flipped the safety off and took aim at the target which looked like a hostile alien.

"Fire when ready. Short steady burst."

Selina fired off a five round burst and watched as the target was literality blown to bits.

"Very impressive. Now let's how good you are at hitting a moving target," Gordon said the pressed the clicker in his and another pop target appeared.

Selina tightened her focus on the sights and right when it was about to slide into view, she fired off five more rounds and caught it dead center.

"Damn, Selina. How did you do that?"

"It was just a matter of timing, Major."

"Indeed. Now the finial target will be protected by a personal shield. press the blue button on the right side to activate the special ability of the bullets."

She presses the button and announced that she was ready.

Gordon brought up the target and cleared her to fire.

Another five round burst erupted from her gun and she saw that despite being covered by a shield, it didn't make much of a difference.

"Whoa, how was I able to defeat a target with a personal shield?"

"By pressing the blue button, you set the bullets to shield capper mode. It makes us extremely effective against shielded infantry."

"How does it work exactly?"

"I'm sorry Bruce, but the science behind this wonder method is classified which is fine by me. I'm just glad to have something that works against the shields. As are the other grunts," Gordon replied as Selina put the weapon back on safety

Afterwards, Gordon showed her two more important things about the gun. How to reload it and how to clear it in the event of a jam which hopefully wouldn't happen.

"Well Bruce, it appears that the marines won't be the only ones covering your ass."

Bruce couldn't help but smile. The idea of being covered by marines plus Selina was very awesome to him.

"If only Alfred could be here. I hope he isn't too worried about my absence," Bruce thought to himself.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Beowulf emerged from hyperspace and continued on towards MW-877.

"Wow, a purple planet," Selina commented as she and Bruce stood in front of the viewscreen.

"We'll be in orbit in ten seconds, sir," navigator, Lieutenant Petit said.

"Commander Womack, any contacts on the sensors?" Roberts asked.

"Negative sir, the picture is clear."

The Beowulf settled into orbit and Womack proceeded to run a planetary scan. Bruce and Selina walked over to her console to observe."

"So what've you found so far, Shelly?"

"Nothing yet, Cat."

Twenty seconds later, the scans were completed."

"Planetary scans turned up no life signs, sir." Womack reported.

"Very well," Roberts said then activated his earpiece. "Major Gordon, are you and your team ready to go?"

"Yes sir."

"Copy that. Womack, beam the marines down to the LZ," Roberts ordered.

"Yes sir," Womack replied then pressed a button on her console and Gordon's team was instantly sent down to the planet. "The team is on the ground and is in the process of securing the landing zone."

"Good, now launch the fighters."

Eight Space Hornets were launched out of hangar bay one in rapid succession and formed up on their way down to the planet.

"After we enter the atmosphere, we'll zoom down to One-thousand feet and station ourselves to the east and west of the ground team. Spacekings Two through Four, you guys will head east with me and Spacekings Five through Eight will cover from the west."

"Solid copy boss," Lieutenant Colbert said.

Since their primary task was ground support, the Space Hornets had their Megalodons swapped out for two four-thousand pound JDAMs and twelve JAGM missiles which were carried in pairs of three on the other pylons that normally carried the Megs.

But they still retained their normal load of Sidewinders and ERAAMs for anyone trying to pick a fight in the air.

Beowulf bridge.

"Cujo One-One to Beowulf, the area is secure and you're cleared to send down the kids. Just make sure they have their gasmasks on," Major Gordon said over the radio.

"Copy that," Roberts replied then told Bruce and Selina they had a go.

They quickly put on their gasmasks and positioned themselves front and center.

"We're ready to go sir," Bruce said then Roberts gave a nod to Womack.

A split second later, Bruce and Selina were enveloped by a white light and whisked away.

MW-877

Bruce and Selina reappeared on the surface in the middle of the circle formed by Major Gordon and his team and took a quick view of their surroundings.

"Teleportation is awesome," Selina commented as she switched off the safety on her AA-22.

"Is the air toxic, Major?"

"Negative Bruce, but we're still keeping our masks on in case we run into something that is."

"Understood sir."

"Alright people, we're about half a click from the objective. Keep your eyes peeled and fingers on triggers."

"Roger sir," Lieutenant Ackerson replied then the team got moving. Selina remained close to Bruce with her weapon ready.

"Cujo One-One this is Spaceking leader, do you read?" Captain Steinbeck asked over Gordon's radio.

"This is Cujo One-One, we read you loud and clear."

"Be advised that we are currently on station five miles to your east and west. If you run into any trouble, just give us a call and we'll come to the rescue."

"Solid copy, Spaceking One."

"And how are Bruce and Selina doing?"

"We're doing just fine, Captain Steinbeck. Thanks for asking."

"No problem, Bruce. We'll talk again later. Spaceking One out."

"Are those fighters monitoring our advance?" Selina asked.

"You damn right they are, and the Beowulf is watching over us from orbit too," Gordon replied.

"I got a feeling that we're all gonna get through this just fine," Bruce commented.

"I hope so, Bruce. Now let's keep an eye on our surroundings," Ackerson said.

A few seconds later, they walked into an area that was filled with buildings that were overtaken by undergrowth, some of them were even partially collapsed.

"We're passing through an urban area now. Watch your sectors and keep a close eye on the buildings, especially the rooftops," Major Gordon said.

"A quick pop quiz for you, Bruce. Where can you find all of the ambush points in a city?" Selina asked as she scanned the area with her gun like the marines were doing with theirs.

"Everywhere around you, which is why one must always watch their surroundings."

"Very good, B. I'm glad those lessons I taught you are still fresh in your head."

"What kind of lessons were you teaching him, Cat?"

"Everything there is to know about surviving on the streets of Gotham, Major Gordon One time he said that he wanted to how people on my side of the fence lived, so he left the comfort of his mansion and lived on the streets with me for a while."

"So you're a street kid where you come from?" Ackerson asked.

"That's right. But I'm a very competent person with a skill set as wide as the Grand Canyon. Especially in the area of fighting."

"I have a daughter who is about your age, I started teaching her how to fight when she entered kindergarten and her skill level has progressed with time."

"How good is she now, Lieutenant Ackerson?"

"Her shooting skills are just as good as mine which are very good and she can be really brutal in a hand to hand match. You would not want to rub her the wrong way, Bruce."

"There are times where Bruce has gotten on my nerves, but my responses are mellow compared to what your daughter would probably do."

"If by some fluke he made her mad enough, your boy would look like a tornado hit him after she was through."

Bruce simply put the image of him getting destroyed by Ackerson's daughter out his mind by looking about the buildings around him.

"Judging by the looks of these ruins, this planet was once home to an advanced civilization."

"But what happened to the inhabitants? I'm not seeing any bodies or signs of this place being attacked."

"Maybe the virus that wiped out the crew of your exploration ship got the people here too, Major," Selina replied.

"Even so, we should still be seeing more than just abandoned buildings and overgrown vegetation. And another thing, we have yet to encounter any animal life. Let alone hear anything beyond our own voices and footsteps."

"Well the Beowulf's scans did turn up empty, sir."

"Orbital scans don't always pick up everything, Bruce. Gordon replied.

After a few more minutes of walking, the team finally reached the building and cautiously approached with their weapons trained on the entrance. Even though Bruce was eager to see what was inside, he chose to stay behind Selina and the marines.

"I'm seeing a lot of debris around the entrance," Selina said.

"Something tells me that mess wasn't there before the team from the Ethel Marie arrived," Bruce commented.

They walked inside and found what turned out to be bits and pieces of a door.

"It looks like you're right, kid," Corporal Spencer said as Bruce knelt down to check out some of the fragments that appeared to be metallic.

"Find something interesting besides some chunks of concrete?" Selina asked."

"I think these pieces were part of a lock, one that the team from the exploration ship went to great lengths to breach."

"If a building is locked up to the point of needing explosives to make an entrance. That usually means there's something in there that someone is either trying to guard or keep away from everyone else. For a very good reason," Ackerson commented.

"Beowulf to Cujo One-One, what's your status?"

"This is Cujo One-One, we are inside the facility. We found evidence that suggest that the team from EM encountered a locked door upon arrival and resorted to explosives to enter. We're moving further into the building to investigate."

"Copy that, Major. Beowulf out," Admiral Roberts replied over the radio.

Two minutes later, they walked into another room that was dark and silent like the area around the entrance.

"Motion sensor isn't picking up a thing, sir." Sergeant Witherspoon reported.

"I see a pedestal in the middle of the room," Selina said.

"Ackerson, check it out. Bruce, Selina, stay put until we find out what it is."

Ackerson walked up to it and saw that the palm was big enough to accommodate a being with eight fingers.

"Sir, this thing has a big palm and couple of knobs on it."

"How many finger spots does it have?"

"Judging by the size of it Selina, the aliens who once lived here had eight fingers on their hands."

"See if you can get the lights on from there," Gordon ordered.

"Here goes," Ackerson said under his breath then touched the palm with his left hand and a flash of brightness filled the room.

"Whoa that was intense," Gordon commented as the brightness went down to a more bearable level.

"I got the lights on, Major."

"We can see that, Lieutenant. Good work," Gordon replied.

"Selina, guys, look around you," Bruce said then they all looked at the walls and saw chambers.

Lots and lots of chambers from top to bottom and they all had locks on them consisting of a wheel with multiple bars running through them.

"So B, care to start counting?"

"No need for that, Selina. I took a quick count of them with the digital scanner on my rifle and we got a good six-hundred chambers in this room. All of them probably filled with things we're better off not releasing."

"Hmm, I think we can leave out the probably part, Major. What other reason could there be for someone to go through the trouble of installing six-hundred locks?"

"I highly doubt one being did all of this, Selina."

"That's funny, I don't remember asking for your two cents, Bruce. Though if you had it in the form of two actual pennies, I would just help myself to one of your pockets and…"

"Sir, I found an open chamber along with fragments of the door and a lock," Ackerson shouted from the across the room.

Everybody ran over to him as Gordon activated the PDA on his wrist to check it with the image he saw on the Beowulf.

"Yep this is definitely the chamber they got the virus from," Gordon said.

"I already did a CBRN scan sir, nothing to worry about. But judging by the size of the table, whatever the EMs crew carried out sure was huge."

"If the virus was stored in an opaque container of some sort, the scientist from the ship probably had no idea what they took," Bruce commented.

"Then something went wrong on their ship and the virus got lose. Had they simply turned back at the front door, they would still be alive," Ackerson replied.

"Selina, tell the Beowulf we're ready to get out of here."

"On it, Major Gordon," Selina replied then activated her radio. "Cat to Beowulf, come in please."

"Roberts here, what's up Cat?"

"We've confirmed that this place is the alien house of horrors your superiors are so worried about and we're ready to beam out of here."

"Have any of you been exposed to hazardous materials?"

"No, we're fine. All of the dangerous stuff with the exception of what was taken by the team from that science ship is locked within six-hundred chambers. All of which are in the same room we are."

"We got a solid fix on your position inside the building, we'll beam you guys up in a second."

"Understood, Cat out."

"Form up people," Gordon shouted then everyone gathered around him and were whisked away shortly thereafter.

Beowulf bridge.

The team reappeared in front of the viewscreen and took off their facemasks.

"Welcome back everyone, I'm glad you're all okay, especially you two," Roberts said referring to Bruce and Selina.

"Thank you sir. I take it you're ready to vaporize the place?"

"You guessed right, Major."

"The rest of you go on, I'll stay up here with the kids and watch the fireworks," Gordon said.

Selina made her way over to Womack's console as the other marines left the bridge.

"Excuse me Shelley, but can I be the one to do this?"

"I already have it locked, Cat. All you have to do is press this button right here."

"Goody goody," Selina said then placed her finger over the one Womack pointed at. "Awaiting your order, Admiral."

"Fire."

The missile soared from the ventral bay and entered the atmosphere at high speed.

The digital HUD popped up on the viewscreen and showed an overhead view of the target at the top portion of the screen and video footage from the missile on the bottom.

"It's going really fast, but why is it flying so low?" Selina asked.

"Normal method of attack for a cruise missile, very useful for circumventing enemy air defenses," Womack explained.

"But there's no air defense to circumvent, ma'am," Bruce commented.

"B, stop over-analyzing and just enjoy the show."

"Is he usually like this back in Gotham, Cat?" Womack whispered.

"More like always, his butler and I do the best we can to keep a leash on him, but you can imagine how well that goes."

"Five seconds to impact," Captain Millen announced.

Everybody watched as the missile flew through the doorway then the video feed went dead.

"Wow, Selina commented at the sight of the fireball and the blastwave.

"The target just vanished from my radar, sir. It's gone along with everything else within a ten mile radius," Womack reported.

"Congratulations, Cat, you're the first teenage girl in history to fire off a nuke."

"Thank you for letting me history, Admiral."

"Beowulf actual, this is Spaceking One. We've just emerged from the atmosphere and are heading back to you."

"Roger Spaceking leader, landing bay one is already open and waiting," Roberts said.

"Copy, Spaceking leader out."

"I'm glad that all of your fighters are coming back," Selina commented as she looked at Womack's screen.

"Admiral, can you have Captain Steinbeck and Commander Emerson meet us on the bridge when they land?"

"What for Bruce?"

"Before we head back to Earth, there is something I would like to do for Selina."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Shortly after returning, Captain Steinbeck and Commander Emerson walked onto the bridge after emerging from the televator in the hallway.

"You wanted to see us sir?" Steinbeck asked.

"Yeah, Mr. Wayne here has a favor he would like to ask," Admiral Roberts said.

"Captain, I wish to take Selina for a ride in one of your Space Hornets."

"Giving you two a ride would be one thing, but letting you fly one yourself is a very tall order."

"Have you even flown a plane before, Bruce?" Emerson asked.

"Yes. The last time me and Alfred flew to Switzerland he was able to convince the pilot to let me have some time behind the stick, and I even landed the plane without incident. I even got some more flight time on the way back to Gotham too."

"And in case you two are wondering, his private jet is a Gulfstream Five. So he does have some experience with jet aircraft," Roberts pointed out.

"I also have a flight sim on my PC which I've logged a total of two-hundred hours on."

"You know, I think it would be interesting to see how well he handles a fighter. But he and Cat are going to need some flight suits along with all of the necessary gear."

"We're already in the process of making that for them now, Captain Steinbeck," Roberts replied.

"Great. You two meet us in the hangar bay when you're ready."

"Okay," Bruce replied then Steinbeck and Emerson turned and left the bridge.

"When we get out there Bruce, try not to pull any vomit inducing stunts. If I end up puking, you'll be in for an earful and a pounding after the flight."

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Bruce?"

"Positive, Admiral. Whenever a man decides to do something nice for a lady, he should always follow through."

Roberts couldn't help but smile at Bruce's sense of etiquette.

Hangar Bay one.

Four minutes later.

Steinbeck and Bruce taxied their Space Hornets into launch position as the bay doors opened once again.

"Spaceking One to Bruce, how are your systems looking?" Steinbeck asked over the radio.

"Selina and I just went over them and avionics, life support, propulsion, and weapons are all in the green."

"Great. When we get out there, your callsign will be Rook One."

"Got it. Are you ready for this, Selina?"

"I don't think I would be sitting in this cockpit if I wasn't. And this visor on my helmet is pretty awesome, you can see all of your flight data without having to look at the screens all the time."

"Not only that, but you can also acquire targets for a missile or beam shot simply by looking at them with it.

"Talk about a killer piece of headwear," Selina commented then slapped on her oxygen mask.

"Alright Rook One, get ready for launch."

"Roger Spaceking leader. Selina you might want to grab onto the handle on your dashboard."

"Got it, B."

Ten seconds later, they were propelled ahead at lightning speed and both jets were wheels up just before they left the bay."

"Sweet launch. That made me feel like I was on a roller coaster."

"This is much better than a roller coaster, Selina."

"Rook One, we're going to fly a circle around the Beowulf so you two can see its exterior in all its glory."

"Roger, Spaceking One," Bruce replied then they commenced their flight around the ship. Selina looked out to the right and was impressed by the Beowulf's size.

"Just how big is this thing?"

"Approximately five-hundred and forty meters long, Cat. She was originally five-hundred and twenty meters long when she first entered service, but this is what happens when you decide to give your warships upgrades," Steinbeck replied over the radio.

"I see Erin, and the dark grey paintjob is a nice touch. It would almost be hard to see it from afar with the naked eye."

"Yeah, and you should see the Chinese battlecruisers. They are known as Sun Tzu class ships, but we sometimes refer to them as red Beowulfs."

"Because they look just your ship but have a red paint job?"

"You're right on the money, Cat."

"I always am, Erin. Even my billionaire pilot can attest to that."

"She certainly is. But why didn't the Chinese come up with their own design?"

"They must've looked ours and said that looks impressive, let's run with it. I can't blame them for being impressed but to me, copying shows a lack of creativity."

"And yet they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

"Exactly, Bruce. You two may come from a Earth in a different dimension, but there's really not much difference between us," Steinbeck commented.

"Except that your Earth has come a long way in terms of technology and geopolitical relations. Ours still has room for improvement on both fronts," Bruce replied then they broke their orbit around the ship and headed out into the surrounding space.

"You're doing great, Bruce."

"Thank you, Selina. I was actually a little nervous when I started this plane up."

Selina looked out at the distant stars around them and was mesmerized by their beauty.

"What a magnificent sight. Out of all things I saw myself doing, traveling through space wasn't one of them. Then again, I never thought anyone would look at me as nothing more than a street kid until I met you."

"Your presence in my life has impacted me in positive ways too, Selina."

"I know B. Let's just focus on enjoying the beauty of space."

"Okay, rest assured that this will continue to be a puking free flight."

After thirty minutes of stargazing, Selina had an idea pop into her mind.

"Bruce, Erin, are you two interested in heading back down to that purple planet?"

"I don't have any problem with a second trip back down there since they aren't any threats to worry about."

"Yeah. We can do some cloud surfing, check out your handy work at the spot where that facility use to be, then head back up into space. I always wanted to know what it felt like to climb towards the stars," Bruce said.

"Then it's settled. The young lady wants a trip to the skies of MW-877 and we shall grant it. Bruce, I'll let you take point on this one."

"Roger Captain Steinbeck," Bruce replied then flew out ahead of him and made a left turn, Steinbeck quickly followed.

"Nice turn, Mister Wayne."

"Thank you Commander, Emerson. I think I want to try out this hypercruising thing."

"We're ready when you are, Rook One," Steinbeck said.

"What's hypercruising?" Selina asked.

"You're about to find out. Spaceking One, prepare to accelerate on my mark. Three, two, one, mark."

Selina felt the sudden increase in speed when she was flung forward for a brief second. The harnesses did a good job of keeping her and Bruce from going face first into the dashboards.

"This is incredible, B. How fast are we going?

"Mach 6.2 and best part is that we doing this without pushing the afterburners up to full power."

"Awesome, and I see that our fuel is still at a decent level," Selina replied as she checked the fuel gauge on one of her display screens.

As they neared the planet, Steinbeck and Bruce reduced their speed for the re-entry into its atmosphere.

"Whoa, it's starting to get a little bumpy here," Selina commented.

"We do get a little turbulence every time we enter a planet's atmosphere. Nothing to worry about, Cat," Steinbeck said.

"Is the turbulence bothering you, Bruce?"

"Not at all, Selina. How are you feeling?"

"I haven't passed out or puked yet, so I guess I'm as fine as you are."

One minute later, they leveled out of their dive at fifty-thousand feet and proceeded to fly over a layer of clouds. Bruce even did a few barrel rolls along the way.

"Bruce, you really are a natural in a Space Hornet," Steinbeck commented.

"Thank you, my flight experience albeit limited is serving me quite nicely here."

Selina gazed out at the clouds beneath their wings and smiled behind her oxygen mask.

"Now this is real cloud surfing," Selina commented.

"I tell myself the same thing when I do it in this bird," Steinbeck replied.

After reaching the end of the cloud layer, they dropped down to five hundred feet for a better view of the surface.

"Quite the scenic view."

"Too bad there isn't much to see on this rock, Bruce," Selina replied.

"Hmm, I wonder where that blast site is. I'm not seeing any indications of radiological activity on my radar."

"That's because it's four-hundred miles to the east of our position."

"Did the Beowulf tell you that?" Selina asked.

"Yeah, there sensors are feeding real time data to me," Steinbeck replied.

"Well let's go check it out," Bruce said then the two jets broke to the right and went to hypercruise once again.

At the rate of speed they were traveling, the two fighters arrived over the blast zone within fifty-two seconds.

"When we were down here with Major Gordon's team, we saw plenty of buildings covered by undergrowth. But now it's nothing but a charred wasteland," Selina commented.

"If you look to the right, you can see the missile's point of impact," Bruce said then titled the plane slightly to the left to give Selina a better view of the crater.

"Hmm, it doesn't look very deep and how powerful was that nuke anyway?"

"Fifteen kilotons, Cat. Had it been in the megaton range, the blast radius would've been a helluva lot wider. Those have been replaced because some of our other weapons give you same destructive power, but minus the fallout."

"So why did your bosses back on Earth feel the need to use an actual nuke, Erin?"

"Like Admiral Roberts said back in the briefing, they wanted maximum assurance that this mess would be contained."

"Well they sure as hell got it," Selina replied.

"This area makes me think of the close call we had back in Gotham."

"What do you mean Bruce?" Emerson asked.

"Beneath the Arkham Asylum, there was a subdivision of my company called Indian Hill. It was run by a mad scientist named Hugo Strange. He was conducting illegal experiments on people that turned them into monsters and he even brought some people back from the dead."

"Like Fish Mooney. I'll never forgive that bitch for what she did to Ivy."

"Was she a friend of yours, Cat?" Steinbeck asked.

"Yeah. Continue on with your story Bruce."

"It turns that he was under the control of a secret council that somehow controls everything in my city. They placed a nuclear device in his lab and ordered him to use it in the event his facility was compromised. Had it gone off, everything within a quarter mile of Arkham would've been gone. Add in the fallout…"

"Total catastrophe. You guys really did dodge a bullet," Steinbeck said.

"Yeah, and I got trapped in there when I tried to rescue my other friend Bridget who Strange brainwashed into thinking that she was a fire goddess. Bruce went into save me along with Jim Gordon and Lucius Fox, but I ended up saving them instead. Jim was the one that stopped the nuke."

"And what became of your friend after that event?"

"She disappeared along with some other guy who walks around packing a freeze gun."

"Wow, this is most interesting in-flight story I've ever heard," Steinbeck said.

"Yeah, I wish we could go see Gotham for ourselves," Emerson commented.

"I think a request for an interdimensional vacation would be too risky to approve, Drake," Steinbeck said.

"If by some mysterious fluke you two did come to our city, Selina and I would gladly be your tour guides.

"And as the expert on all things Gotham, I would advise you and your copilot to keep your wallets very close if you showed up. Especially in my neck of the woods."

"Noted, Cat," Steinbeck replied.

Beowulf bridge

"Sir, we just got an important message from Space Fleet Command," Captain Millen said as he walked over to Roberts who was sitting in his chair.

"Let me see it."

Millen handed him the computer tablet and he opened the message.

"Bruce and Selina are gonna be happy to hear about this when they get back aboard."

MW-877

Two minutes later.

Bruce and Captain Steinbeck went through a cloud at high speed on their way up to the ignition point for their rocket boosters.

"We just reached sixty-thousand feet, Bruce, maintain course and speed."

"Roger, Captain Steinbeck."

"Now seventy-thousand, eighty-thousand, prepare to ignite the boosters on my mark."

"Ready."

"We're now at ninety-thousand, punch it."

"Here we go," Bruce shouted excitedly then pushed the booster throttle to the max.

Selina felt like her back was glued to the seat, but that didn't stop her from enjoying this experience.

"This is the best adventure ever," she shouted.

A few seconds later, they were greeted by the sight of distant stars and went up past the Beowulf before switching back to their afterburners.

"Selina, was that an awesome experience or what?"

"You damn right it was, B. I wish we could do it again."

"No time for that, kids. Admiral Roberts wants us to come back aboard. We're heading home and he says that the guys at NASA made a discovery that will help you guys get back to Gotham."

"I can't wait to hear about it, Captain," Bruce commented.

They circled around and headed back towards the ship.

"Spaceking leader, this is landing bay one, we are open and ready for your arrival. Maintain current course."

"Roger that."

One minute later, they touched down in the bay and came to stop.

"Did we just get snagged on something?" Selina asked after removing her oxygen mask.

"Yes, it was one of the landing wires, there's enough of them in here and the bay on the left side of ship to catch forty jets at once."

"Now what happens?"

"We just sit here and wait to be beamed back into the hangar," Bruce replied as he powered down the plane.

A split second later, both planes were enveloped by a flash of light and whisked away.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Hangar bay one

A short time later.

Admiral Roberts walked into the bay just in time to see Bruce, Selina, Steinbeck, and Emerson climb down from their Space Hornets and take off their helmets.

Upon spotting him near the doorway, Bruce and Selina went over to see him. Steinbeck and Emerson followed as well.

"Admiral, Captain Steinbeck told us that you got a message saying that NASA found a way to get us back home."

"They sure did, Bruce. As you four were on your way back up from your joyride. Space Fleet Command relayed a message to us saying that NASA discovered what they could best describe as an anomaly in the fabric of space. Apparently we flew right past the thing on our way into hyperspace and that was when your portal appeared."

"How come your sensors didn't pick it up?" Bruce asked.

"Because the anomaly operates on a very, very minute electromagnetic frequency. Its EM emissions were so low, NASA had to do some serious calibrations to their sensors in order to find it."

"Is it still there?"

"Yes. The plan we've drawn up is pretty straight forward. After we drop out of hyperspace in our home system, we'll fly up to the anomaly and wait for the portal to reappear. When it does, you and Cat will be free to return to your dimension."

"Sounds simple enough," Selina commented.

"Well I'm about to head back up to the bridge. If you two need me again, just buzz me over my earpiece."

"We know sir, thank you," Bruce said.

Roberts gave them a slight smile then left.

"So what do you kids wanna do now?" Steinbeck asked.

"I'm feeling hungry," Selina replied.

Mess hall

One minute later

Selina place her bowl of blueberry and strawberry Jell-O cubes on the table and sat down with Steinbeck and Emerson. Bruce was still in line getting his food.

For his meal, Steinbeck grabbed a cheeseburger and a salad with ranch dressing on it and Emerson grabbed a foot long BLT sub.

Selina's drink of choice was a cup of limeade while Steinbeck and Emerson had sodas.

"Wow, this Jell-O is delicious," Selina commented.

"Is there any difference between our Jell-O and the Jell-O back in Gotham?" Steinbeck asked.

"It has a more juicer taste to it than the stuff back home. You guys have it made here food wise. The only way we street kids can get access to good food like this is to either steal it from someone else engage in some other illegal activity to get the money for it."

"Normally I don't like the idea of engaging in criminal activities, but I'm not gonna fault you for doing what you must to survive."

"Thank you for your understanding, Captain Steinbeck. Gotham is a very gritty place. Not the kind of city I would put on my places to visit before I die list if I you."

"What happened to your mother and father that caused you to be a street kid?"

"Normally Commander Emerson, I don't share this kind of stuff with anybody. But for you two, I'll make an exception. I never knew who my father was and my mother abandoned me for no good reason. She just took off one night and I woke up to an empty apartment the next day."

"Do you think she'll come back?" Emerson asked.

"I don't know. If she does, don't expect me to roll out the red carpet for her. I'll probably say hi mom, where the fuck have you been all these years? Do you have any idea how much shit I've been through because of your absence?"

"If I was in your shoes and saw her again, I would just glare at her and walk away. But if she does return, my advice to you is be strong, fearless, and speak from the heart."

"That is excellent advice, Captain Steinbeck," Bruce said as he approached the table with slice of pizza and a cup of orange juice.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, B. and why were in line for so long? We're you having a hard time making up your mind?"

"No, Selina. There were a lot of people ahead me," Bruce replied then sat down and started eating.

"That pizza slice must be pretty good judging by the bites you're taking out of it," Selina commented.

"It is. How's your Jell-O?

"Very delicious, you should grab a bowl."

"Maybe I will after I eat this," Bruce replied then turned to Steinbeck. "I always thought military food would be bland, but you guys have just about every food item one could think of, how did this come about?"

"I can put it to you in a sentence, Bruce. Good food equals good morale, especially on a warship in deep space."

"Yep. The U.S. military has come a long way in the food department since its inception," Emerson said.

"And in everything else too," Bruce added then finished off his pizza and went to go get a bowl of Jell-O.

He returned shortly thereafter and they engaged in some more small talk.

"So what do you all do for fun on this ship? Selina asked.

"We have a workout room, a gym and even a simulator room that we pilots use frequently to keep our skills fresh on long voyages. Another thing we got as a result of the upgrades was a VRTC."

"What does that stand for?"

"Virtual Reality Training Center." You can replicate just about any type of environment on Earth or another planet. The marines love the hell out it because they can conduct more realistic training exercises in there," Steinbeck explained.

"In fact they consider it to be their own little piece of the ship. Which is just fine since they're the only ones that use it," Emerson commented.

"At least there's no fighting over training spaces on the ship. You pilots have yours and the marines have theirs," Bruce said.

"I gotta give credit to your shipbuilders. They really know their stuff."

"You got that right, Selina," Steinbeck replied.

"And she got this Jell-O right too, this is the best I've ever had. Thanks for pointing it out to me, Selina."

"No problem, B. No problem."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

USS Beowulf

Hyperspace

"So how far are we from the home system now, Admiral?" Selina asked as she and Bruce walked onto the bridge.

"We're currently five minutes out and NASA and Space Fleet Command confirm that the anomaly is still present which means we're still a go for Operation Homeward Bound."

"That's wonderful news, sir. But I'm really gonna miss you guys."

"Me too, I'm also gonna miss this ship and everything on it. Especially the wide assortment of food you guys have. And thanks for letting Bruce and I take a ride in one of your Space Hornets."

"You're welcome, Cat and one more thing."

"Yes?"

Unfortunately the CNO rejected your idea of changing the Selene's name to Selina. But since you're really into cats judging by your alias, he thought you would like to have this."

"Roberts unzipped one of the pockets on his BDU jacket then pulled out a patch and gave it to Selina.

"That's the patch worn by Space Hornet pilots assigned to the Hades," Bruce commented.

The patch consisted of an image of a red snarling cat with a pair of devil horns and the top banner said Hellcats and the bottom one said SVFA-229.

"I really like the image, thank you."

"You're welcome, Cat."

"How did you get it sir?" Bruce asked.

"I simply had one of the guys in the clothing department make it."

"Well they did a very good job," Selina replied.

"Hey Bruce, we got something for you," Captain Steinbeck said as he and Commander Emerson ran onto the bridge.

"What is it?"

"Due to your flawless flying during the joyride and the combat scenarios we went over in the simulator room. I've decided to make you an honorary Spaceking member."

Bruce snapped to attention then Steinbeck pinned a Spaceking patch to his shirt along with a nametag that with a pair of wings on it. Since Bruce wasn't a member of the United States Navy, his wings had a circle in the middle containing his initials instead of a shield and anchor.

"And this album is for you guys as well. And not to worry, Selina. There's a Spaceking patch in here for you as something to remember us by along with all of the photos you and Bruce took."

"Okay, thanks Commander Emerson."

"We'll be exiting hyperspace in ten seconds," Lieutenant Petit said.

"Womack, what's the status of the marine combat teams?"

"They're standing by on all decks as per your orders sir."

The Beowulf dropped out of hyperspace and headed towards the anomaly.

"Sir, my sensors are detecting another battlecruiser a mile out from the anomaly's position. It's the Aegis and they're hailing us."

"Put it through, Womack," Roberts ordered then she pressed a button on her console.

"Beowulf, this is the Aegis, welcome back."

"Thank you Aegis. What are you doing around the anomaly?" Roberts asked.

"Just enforcing a little quarantine so that nobody else gets too close to it and have unexpected guests drop in. SFCs orders," Admiral Angelo Hernandez replied.

"Understood, we're about to cruise on up to it and get Bruce and Selina home.

"Copy that, just don't get sucked through to some other dimension. Aegis out."

"We're in position, sir," Petit reported.

"We got some activity here," Major Gordon shouted from down the hall way.

"That must be your ride out of here kids," Roberts said then Bruce and Selina ran from the bridge with him, Steinbeck and Emerson right behind them.

They made it down the hall just in time to see a fully formed portal before the group of marines and crewmembers who had their weapons trained on it in case something hostile came through.

"Make way for Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. Roberts ordered.

The defense team made a path in the middle for the two kids to walk through, but they still maintained a defensive posture.

Bruce and Selina walked up to the portal then turned around to deliver some parting words.

"Admiral Roberts. I wish to thank you and your crew for the hospitality you showed us during our time here."

"You're welcome Mr. Wayne. The presence of you and Ms. Kyle was quite enjoyable."

Bruce nodded and Selina simply smiled.

"Major Gordon, thank you for letting us join you and your men on the planet during the mission."

"I'm glad it went well for all of us, Selina. Now you two best to get on home before the portal closes."

Bruce gave a salute then Selina did the same and everybody else saluted back.

"Good luck back in Gotham kids," Lieutenant Ackerson said.

"Farewell everyone," Bruce replied then he and Selina stepped through the portal.

A few seconds later, the portal vanished.

"Admiral Roberts, this is Commander Womack. The anomaly just vanished from our sensors. Did Bruce and Selina make it through the portal?"

"Affirmative. Tell Space Fleet Command and NASA that Operation Homeward Bound was a success."

"Yes sir."

"Major Gordon, you can tell your MCTs to stand down."

"Roger sir."

Roberts returned to the bridge and told Petit to continue on to the International Space Base in Earth's orbit.

Wayne Manor

Alfred Pennyworth stood ready with a sword he grabbed from the study, ready to take a swing at the first sign of trouble.

But instead of wretched creature coming through it was just Bruce and Selina.

"You can stand down Jeeves, it's just us."

"Ms. Kyle, Master Bruce, my apologies," Alfred replied after lowering the sword.

"Why do you have sword, Alfred?" Bruce asked.

"I just got back from a lovely evening in the city and then I heard a noise coming from this cave and came down here to see what the bloody hell was going on." Judging by that patch on your shirt Master B, you and Ms. Kyle went off on some sort of adventure through that thing behind you."

"It's a long story, Alfred. But we'll be glad to tell you all about it."

"Well then I guess I better go make some tea and sandwiches," Alfred replied then headed back upstairs as Selina leaned in closer to Bruce's ear.

"Judging by the way your butler was smiling when he said lovely evening in the city, I think he might be seeing somebody."

"Hmm." Bruce thought to himself.


End file.
